ABSTRACT
Standard treatment options in classic HCL (cHCL) result in high response rates and near normal life expectancy. However, the disease itself and the recommended standard treatment are associated with profound and prolonged immunosuppression, increasing susceptibility to infections and the risk for a severe course of COVID-19. The Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation (HCLF) has recently convened experts and discussed different clinical strategies for the management of these patients. The new recommendations adapt the 2017 consensus for the diagnosis and management with cHCL to the current COVID-19 pandemic. They underline the option of active surveillance in patients with low but stable blood counts, consider the use of targeted and non-immunosuppressive agents as first-line treatment for cHCL, and give recommendations on preventive measures against COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , Leukemia, Hairy Cell/therapy , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/pathology , COVID-19/virology , Consensus , Humans , Leukemia, Hairy Cell/complications , Pandemics , Practice Guidelines as Topic , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of the elderly, characterized by immunodeficiency. Hence, patients with CLL might be considered more susceptible to severe complications from COVID-19. We undertook this retrospective international multicenter study to characterize the course of COVID-19 in patients with CLL and identify potential predictors of outcome. Of 190 patients with CLL and confirmed COVID-19 diagnosed between 28/03/2020 and 22/05/2020, 151 (79%) presented with severe COVID-19 (need of oxygen and/or intensive care admission). Severe COVID-19 was associated with more advanced age (≥65 years) (odds ratio 3.72 [95% CI 1.79-7.71]). Only 60 patients (39.7%) with severe COVID-19 were receiving or had recent (≤12 months) treatment for CLL at the time of COVID-19 versus 30/39 (76.9%) patients with mild disease. Hospitalization rate for severe COVID-19 was lower (p < 0.05) for patients on ibrutinib versus those on other regimens or off treatment. Of 151 patients with severe disease, 55 (36.4%) succumbed versus only 1/38 (2.6%) with mild disease; age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality. In CLL, (1) COVID-19 severity increases with age; (2) antileukemic treatment (particularly BTK inhibitors) appears to exert a protective effect; (3) age and comorbidities did not impact on mortality, alluding to a relevant role of CLL and immunodeficiency.
Subject(s)
Betacoronavirus , Coronavirus Infections/pathology , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/complications , Pneumonia, Viral/pathology , Adenine/analogs & derivatives , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , COVID-19 , Comorbidity , Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis , Coronavirus Infections/mortality , Female , Humans , Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , Piperidines , Pneumonia, Viral/diagnosis , Pneumonia, Viral/mortality , Prognosis , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology , Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Pyrazoles/pharmacology , Pyrazoles/therapeutic use , Pyrimidines/pharmacology , Pyrimidines/therapeutic use , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2 , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and healthcare professionals have been concerned that a history of haematological malignancy will lead to an increased risk of severe COVID-19. This led to the UK government advising patients with blood cancers to shield, massive re-organisation of NHS haematology and cancer services, and changes in treatment plans for thousands of patients. Given the unknown effects that relaxation of social-distancing measures will have on the infection rate, we review the evidence to date to see whether a history of haematological malignancy is associated with increased risk of COVID-19. Multivariable analysis of large population studies, taking other known risk factors into account, do indicate that patients with haematological malignancy, especially those diagnosed recently, are at increased risk of death from COVID-19 compared to the general population. The evidence that this risk is higher than for those with solid malignancies is conflicting. There is suggestive evidence from smaller cohort studies that those with myeloid malignancy may be at increased risk within the blood cancer population, but this needs to be confirmed on larger studies. Ongoing large collaborative efforts are required to gain further evidence regarding specific risk factors for severe complications of COVID-19.